Why is Lee Sin So Popular?
Out of the massively diverse cast of heroes, players have to mess around with in TFT; none is more popular than the blind monk Lee Sin. He has remained a top pick for players of all roles for the last four years, and not once has he slowed down in pick rate.
For the non-Lee Sin players, this raises the question of just what exactly about him is so good? He isn’t an overpowered unit by any means, and it’s so rare for a hero to remain popular for four-plus years.
Well, there are a handful of different components that go into it, but there is only one dominating factor that Lee Sin’s popularity can be attributed to.
Why is Lee Sin So Popular? He’s Fun
Yes, you heard it here first. A champion being picked in a competitive game because he’s fun.
He’s a flashy character with a move set that can make him look incredible when operated correctly. It’s not just that, though.
He is a fast and cohesive hero. All of his abilities have this unique synergy that allows for new combos to be discovered even years after his release.
He has usability that allows players to spec him in a variety of different ways to fit different roles. Although Lee Sin is most popular as a jungler, it’s not too uncommon to see him mix it up. This is down to the fact that you can run him as full damage, versatility, or a mixed build.
He has a great ult that is full of value, which allows him to fit into most team compositions naturally. It serves as an engage, peel, and anti-position, making it hard not to get value out of using it.
As well as that, he is an energy-based hero, not mana, which a lot of players prefer. He has two long-distance dashes and a passive that gives him free attack speed.
High Skill Ceiling
While all of those features are a large part of what makes Lee Sin such a highly played character, what really brings people to him is the high skill ceiling associated with his kit. Watching a talented Lee Sin player go to work is something to behold, whereas watching someone that doesn’t know what they’re doing is just sad.
It allows Lee Sin to serve as somewhat of a benchmark for jungle players to test and show off their technical prowess.
The notion is that if they can get good with a hero as difficult yet rewarding to play as Lee Sin, then they can play any jungle hero well.
Conclusion
That pretty much sums up what makes Lee Sin so popular. It’s a combination of his versatility in how he can be played, the impact he brings to the game, his ability to synergize with team compositions, the high skill ceiling, and most of all, he’s just fun to play.
While not for everybody, playing Lee Sin can make League just that little bit more enjoyable, provided you get good with him.